Hinge-back for account-register leaves.



Patented Aug. 7

T. G. MAXWELL.

HINGE BACK FOR ACCOUNT REGISTER LEAVES.

' APPLICATION FILED IAN. 13, t9i7.

mv 6rzb 1 THOMAS G. MAXWELL,

0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

HINGE-BACK FOR ACCOUNT-REGISTER, LEAVES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 7, 19117.

Application filed January 13, 1917. Serial No. 142,143.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, THOMAS G. MAXWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Hinge-Backs for Account-Register Leaves, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the kind of account filing devices which include a plural ity of leaves, each equipped on both sides with several clips for holding account slips, which leaves are pivoted on parallel adja-, cent axes in a cabinet in such wise that they may be easily swung from the horizontal to the vertical position, or vice versa, to give quick access to the clips which are located on both sides of said leaves.

The slips which are filed away in the several clips are generally the original account entries of the merchant employing the filing device. Therefore it is desirable that these account slips be stored in a safe place at night or whenever the filing device is not in actual use. In order that this may be done, and in order that the leaves may occupy a small amount of storage space, it has been proposed to pivot a plurality of leaves to a hinge back of variable length, capable of being readily connected into and taken from the cabinet, and so constructed that when secured in a cabinet it may be expanded to a position such that the leaves may be swung freely in the required manner, and so that, when taken from the cabinet, this hinge back may be contracted to an extent sufiicientto allow the leaves to be packed closely together.

The present invention is an improved hinge back of variable length, adapted for use in the described manner with account filing leaves hinged thereto. The object is to provide such a hinge back in a form which is cheap, both because the parts thereof may be cheaply constructed, and also because any number of such parts may be quickly assembled in operative relationship; and, of

course, the object is to produce a hinge back adapted to practically and satisfactorily serve the purposes for which it is intended.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts shown in the drawing and hereinafter described and pointed out definitely in the appendeclj claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the invention arranged for use in an account filing cabinet; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the hinge back in which the invention is embodied, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the links of said hinge back.

Referring to the parts by reference letters, A and A represent links of which this hinge back is formed. These links are substantially alike, the only difference shown being the length of the ears a to which the account leaves are to be pivoted,and this difference in length is obviously a mere incident which results from arranging to have the hinge pintles of all of the leaves in substantially the same plane above the guide bars B. It will be understood that the hinge pintles by means of which the leaves are hinged to the several links go through the perforations a in said ears.

Each of these links is made of a piece of sheet metal which is readily bent into the form shown, that is to say, the ears a are bent over from the sides of said plates into positions at right angles thereto, and both the ends a of said plates are also bent into positions at right angles thereto and in the same direction as the ears.

In each of these bent over ends a are two holes a which when the parts are in the described relationship are in two alined rows for the reception of the two guide bars B which are slidably fitted thereon.

In assembling these links, the alternate links are faced in one direction and the intermediate links in the opposite direction, and the links are overlapped and therefore interlocked as shown; that is to say, they are so placed that the adjacent turned over ends of the plates will engage and limit the elongation of the so-constructed hinge back.

The guide bars B of which preferably there are two, are insertible in these alined holes one from each end of the hinge back, each of these bars goes through the holes in the turned over ends of a certain number of these links. The bars should not be as long as the expanded hingeback; but they should be lone enough to insure that both bars will go through holes in the ends of at least one of said links, so that the two guided ends of the hinge back will be maintained in alinement.

One end link of the hinge back will preferably have a hole a through it which will fit over a suspending screw or hook fixed to the cabinet, and from which the hinge back may be easily removed. When removed the hinge back may be shortened by pushing the ends together, and all the links will slide in 'alinement upon these bars so that the hinge back and the leaves attached thereto will oocupy a minimum amount of space.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In an apparatus of the character specified, a hinge back for the leaves thereof, comprising, in combination, a plurality of links each having means for pivoting a leaf thereto and each having both ends bent over in the same dircction,said links being alternately faced in opposite directions and being arranged in line with overlapping ends, and means to guide said links as the resulting hinge back is lengthened or shortened.

2. In an apparatus of the character specified, ,a hinge back for the leaves thereof, comprising, in combination, a plurality of links each having ears formed on and bent over from its sides and each having also both ends bent over in the same direction,- said links being alternately faced in opposite directions and being arranged in line with overlapping ends, the turned over ends of said links being formed with holes which are alined when the links are in the desired relationship to one another, and a guide bar slidably passing through said alined holes.

.3. In an apparatus of the character specified, a hinge back for the leaves thereof, comprising, in combination, a plurality of links each provided with means for pivoting a leaf thereto and said leaves having both ends bent over in the same direction and each bent over end having two holes through it so placed that when the links are arranged in line said holes will also be alined to form two rows .of holes, said links being alternately faced in opposite directions and being arranged in line with overlapping ends, and two guide bars which extend from opposite ends of the row of links toward the other ends, and each passing slidably through a plurality of the alined holes.

l. In an apparatus of the character specified,-.a hinge back for the leaves thereof, comprising, in combination, a plurality of links each provided with means for pivoting a leaf thereto, and said leaves having both ends bent over in the same direction, and each bent over end having two holes through it so placed that when the links are arranged in line said holes will also be alined to form two rows of holes,said links be ing alternately faced in opposite directions and being arranged in line with overlapping ends, and two guide bars which extend from opposite ends of the row of leaves toward the other end and each passing slidably through a plurality of thealined holes constituting one row of holes, and said two guide bars being shorter than the expanded hinge back but of such length that when in place as stated they overlap each other.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afliX my signature.

THOMAS G. MAXWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. .0. 

